I Love My Manual Awning

[nomad297]

I love the simplicity, versatility and practicality of my run-of-the-mill manual pull-down awning. I love that it comes out when I want it to and it retracts when I want it to with nothing more than the flip of a lever and use of a hooked rod. It never fails me. I can pitch it as much as I please, this way or that way, for rain or for shade.

I once envied others who have the electric, automatic awnings, thinking that those awnings were superior to mine -- no more -- I have witnessed and I have read of the many problems and limitations of the automatic awnings.

Hail the manual awning.

Bruce

[mpierce]

pappcam wrote:

mpierce wrote:
I have had both. Electric is VERY NICE to operate! Push a button.

However, it goes almost straight out, up high. The sun does not have to get very low in the sky, and it no longer functions for shade! The wind also affects it more than the manual shade.

Take your pick. Ease of use vs more functionality.

Not sure why people think this. My electric awning tilts as much as I want it to, on either side.

I love my electric awning! 🙂

I do not "think this". It is what actually happens.

I can lower the arm setting some, but no where near as much as my manual awning.

[nomad297]

Uh oh...a problem with a manual awning. I guess they can have problems. This one sounds like an easy fix, however. Not an expensive motor to replace, though.

Bruce

[Vulcaneer]

Hey...Maybe I can begin to relate. After racking my brains I found an application where manual is better than electric.

It's the can opener. The manual with the little spin handle beats the electric hands down. I hate all the different electrics we have had. Manual is small, easy to use, faster, easily stored, works anywhere, with the twist of the handle.

So I guess I can admit that in a few cases manual beats electric.

Hey...What about the corkscrew???

Nope...electric rechargeable is better. But this one is close.

[FlatBroke]

Carefree Elite tilts. The Dometics that I have seen that come standard with a trailer dont tilt. Maybe Dometic makes a better option, i dont know, but I would almost rather have nothing then the Dometic junk that came with our prior trailer.

[kampinggal]

We have an electric awning and cannot tilt it. I've had both and the next time I buy a camper, it will definitely have the manual awning.

[Mootpoint]

The DW knows how to work both.
If I'm away and the wind comes up she and her arthritis prefer electric.
Happy wife syndrome.
Doesn't matter to me.

[Wrace]

wannavolunteerFT wrote:
POMPOMGIRL, maybe your issues are similar to mine.. I am too short to work the latch and hold the strap at the same time... had the strap roll up into the awning on me several times with nothing left to pull out. means I have to get someone to help with a ladder on either end to roll the awning out.. that being said, I solved my issues.

I converted (well actually paid someone to do it) to a crank system. It is available as a conversion kit for carefree awnings. I don't know if it will work on others. They removed the spring and put new end caps.. now I just hook my crank handle in loop and crank.. you still have to push the arms to the correct height, but taking the spring loaded opening and closing away makes it very doable by myself for this short older female.. even my 23yr DS says it is much better.

Now that's an interesting solution. I think I might be inclined to make an adapter so I could use the cordless drill to run the awning in and out. 🙂

[pappcam]

mpierce wrote:
I have had both. Electric is VERY NICE to operate! Push a button.

However, it goes almost straight out, up high. The sun does not have to get very low in the sky, and it no longer functions for shade! The wind also affects it more than the manual shade.

Take your pick. Ease of use vs more functionality.

Not sure why people think this. My electric awning tilts as much as I want it to, on either side.

I love my electric awning! 🙂

[Vulcaneer]

Just when I thought Clip-On Flip-Up sun glasses were an answer to my prayers, they come up with the I-Watch...Ohhhhhh....Now I can activate my E-awning awning from my wrist.

Wait til they come up with the I-Awning. You tech haters will eat your hearts out.

[Vulcaneer]

My mother gave my Grand Daughter a keepsake watch that was her mothers. GD thought it was great that you could wind it and not need to depend on batteries. Until she found out she had to wind it each and every day. And when it ran down, she needed her cell phone to reset the time, and then she would rewind it. A week or so of that and she has her watch in a jewelry box. Seems that great idea for a wrist watch, wasn't so good after all.

[Vulcaneer]

I love my fridge with in the door water, crushed ice, or cubes. Everyone should have one of these.

[nomad297]

mpierce wrote:
ITake your pick. Ease of use vs more functionality.

Precisely.

Bruce

[mpierce]

I have had both. Electric is VERY NICE to operate! Push a button.

However, it goes almost straight out, up high. The sun does not have to get very low in the sky, and it no longer functions for shade! The wind also affects it more than the manual shade.

Take your pick. Ease of use vs more functionality.

[JOMO]

I envy everyone with an awning electric or manual. I've had two RV's and three awnings. The first rv we bought the old man we bought it from wanted to drive it home for us, because it was our first rv and he was trying to be helpful. Well guess what he somehow got to close to a tree in his yard and tore up the awning ( awning number one). He payed half of the money for a new awning (it was an older rv). We bought a new awning and my son put it on for us. Don't know what was wrong but it took forever to get it to open or close, so I was always afraid to use it. I was afraid we would get it open and it wouldn't close. The thing you flip up top finally broke and you had to climb on top of rv to open it (awning number two). Years later we bought a newer rv. I was still afraid of the awning but my son used it every time he went camping and said no problems. I said I would wait until he used it at least ten times before I would try it. Well trip number nine he came home and said mom I couldn't get the awning to close the flip up top broke, back to climbing up top to flip the switch (awning number three). I went and bought an easy up shade thingy and that is what I use, if it ever gets where I can't close it I can drive off and leave for the next camper :). I guess some people just aren't meant to have an awning.

[nomad297]

D & M wrote:

nomad297 wrote:

This is the world-wide web. Anybody can say whatever they want to say. I quit worrying about what people had to say about me somewhere around 1968 when I was in kindergarten. I love sarcasm -- I can take it and I can give it.

If I was worried about what somebody was going to say about me, I would never have started this ridiculous thread.

Bruce

No offence was meant Bruce. But don't worry; ChopperBill has your back. LOL.

No offense was taken. I know it's all in fun.

Bruce